Energy and momentum conservation in the Euler-Poincaré formulation of local Vlasov-Maxwell-type systems

The action principle by Low (1958 Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A 248 282-7) for the classic Vlasov-Maxwell system contains a mix of Eulerian and Lagrangian variables. This renders the Noether analysis of reparametrization symmetries inconvenient, especially since the well-known energy-and momentum-conservation laws for the system are expressed in terms of Eulerian variables only. While an Euler-Poincaré formulation of Vlasov-Maxwell-Type systems, effectively starting with Low's action and using constrained variations for the Eulerian description of particle motion, has been known for a while Cendra et al (1998 J. Math. Phys. 39 3138-57), it is hard to come by a documented derivation of the related energy-and momentum-conservation laws in the spirit of the Euler-Poincaré machinery. To our knowledge only one such derivation exists in the literature so far, dealing with the so-called guiding-center Vlasov-Darwin system Sugama et al (2018 Phys. Plasmas 25 102506). The present exposition discusses a generic class of local Vlasov-Maxwell-Type systems, with a conscious choice of adopting the language of differential geometry to exploit the Euler-Poincaré framework to its full extent. After reviewing the transition from a Lagrangian picture to an Eulerian one, we demonstrate how symmetries generated by isometries in space lead to conservation laws for linear-and angular-momentum density and how symmetry by time translation produces a conservation law for energy density. We also discuss what happens if no symmetries exist. Finally, two explicit examples will be given-the classic Vlasov-Maxwell and the drift-kinetic Vlasov-Maxwell-and the results expressed in the language of regular vector calculus for familiarity.